Residents in floodplains across 20 states have begun relocating following a recent warning of impending floods in the states by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
In its July flood alert released on Monday, NiMet listed Sokoto, Lagos, Edo, Benue, Yobe, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Delta, Cross River, Kaduna, Ondo, Adamawa, and Nasarawa among the states likely to experience flash floods due to imminent heavy rainfall in the coming months.
The agency urged residents in the affected areas to relocate where necessary, clear drainage systems, prepare emergency kits, turn off electricity and gas during flooding, reinforce mudslide prevention efforts, and promote community awareness.
The PUNCH reported that despite over N620bn in ecological funds accruing to state governments from 2012 to date, responses from the sub-nationals have consistently fallen short of expectations, making flood disasters a recurring national tragedy. Findings by Saturday indicated that, following NiMet’s recent flood alerts, some residents in the affected states have begun relocating from floodplains as advised.
Lagos allays fears
Some parts of Lagos, one of the high-risk states, experienced flash flooding earlier in the week. However, the state government attributed the situation to rising tide levels from the Atlantic Ocean and the Lagos Lagoon, adding that emergency response and drainage maintenance teams were on the ground, actively monitoring the situation to minimise any prolonged disruption.
The state Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday. “The Lagos State Government wishes to inform the public that the flash flooding currently being experienced in parts of the city is due to increased tidal levels from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Lagos Lagoon,” he wrote, urging residents to remain calm.
Wahab also warned residents against dumping waste into gutters and drainage channels, stressing that such actions impede water flow and exacerbate flooding.
Operatives of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang from the state Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, on Monday, intensified efforts to clear blocked drains in parts of the state, including Ajegunle (Ifelodun LCDA), Meiran (Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA), Lewis Street by Beecroft Street (Lagos Island), Ayinke Timson Drive (Amuwo Odofin LGA), and Samuel Manuwa Street (Ikoyi-Obalende, Eti-Osa).
However, a resident in the Lekki area of the state, Olumide Samuel, said he had begun plans to relocate his family to another part of the state to avert any danger.
“Every year, Lagos comes under heavy flooding, and my area is always affected. Though the state government is making efforts, it needs to do more.
“In the interim, I’ve moved my family to stay with my mum. It’s something we do every year, pending when the water dries off,” the resident said.
Kaduna residents vacate floodplains.
In Kaduna, residents are taking the recent flood alerts seriously, with some already adopting preventive steps to safeguard their lives and property.
A resident of Kigo Road New Extension, Lola Seriki, said that although she planned to flee to higher ground, she had cleared the gutters around her home to prevent water build-up during heavy rainfall. “I have started preparing to remove my valuables and relocate to my sister’s house in Sabo Tasha. I’m getting ready to leave for a safer area,” she told our correspondent.
Another resident, Abdul Alabi, a civil servant living in the Kurmin-Mashi area, said he was preparing for the worst. “As someone living in a flood-prone area, I’ll evacuate my valuables. No preparation is ever enough. Even if you clear your gutters, your neighbours may not,” he said.
Alabi warned that many people in vulnerable areas often ignore early warnings and only act when it’s too late.